The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1887-09-22

lalu clam to the sovereignty of the seas. She
| then had the largest navy and the greatest mer-
chant fleets. She had the Oldest and the strong
| est commercial houses and the richest bankers,
| shipowncrs and corporations in the world.
London was then the centre of exchange. The
| marine insurance written at LlOyd's exceeded
| all that was done in the other cities of the
world. The great merchants, shipowners and
underwriters of England have long been known
| to each other and used to active cooperation.
| Their system Of commercial duty toward one
| another had acquired the respect of centuries.
Such were some of the inequalities of the sit
| uatlon. What took place when the British
| Government accepted our bcnefacton in 1880.
| The first event was the formation Of the
| LlOyds Register Association, in 1884. fer the
| purpose of setting up one plan of discrmina-
ton and protection in lieu of another. The
| shipping societies of England had 10 faith in
the principle of real and true reciprocity. and
no genuine disciple of Lord Bacon or Sir Wal
ter Raleigh ever meant to be bound bv free and
equal trade. What was wanted by British ship
owners was plan for binding the merchants
and underwriters of England to discriminate
against foreign tonnage. Lloyls rules and re-
guations supplied this want. First, foreign
shipping, not trading to England, was eXclud-
ed from the Register. Second. such as did
trade to British ports was classed as inferior in
| materials. workmanship and value. and of
course to be rejected by British merchants. and
overcbar.ed by British underwriters, both OH
huIls and cargoes. When this unfair policy
was put i'll action, the American ships i'm the
foreign trade deserved and bore the name of
best Of any on the sea British shipping, even
by English writers. was said to be '.thc slowest
and most unsafe of all the nations.'' 1t was
the work of L,oytls to make the worse appear
the better ship and thus secure employment to
the British ilag. This contcmptibIe avoidance
OF fair and equal competition should have led
to repeal of our reciprocity statute in the first
decade of its existence 1t would take a vol
inc to show the unfairness and ev-workng
OF the Loyds inspection policy, and another
volume to illustrate their unwarrante,l, agrees
SlNe and destructive premium policy, both
ic\elicd at the life of the American ship The
guns OF the Alabama were mere supplements
to the Lloyds rules and tariffs. in the destruc-
fon of our marine. Here is Il single ill,lStra-
toD: At the close of the war 1850 our exports
IN Our vessels had fallen to 70 per ccut BY
lS'o they had risen to Is per cent. and Con-
grcss was considering helpful legislation. The
Lioyds practically cast our ships ont of their
register. and the next wear our percentage of
export transportation fell To :,2.6 per cent. and
in five Years, to 23.7 per cent The hurtlul
rule. having done its work. which was to
prevent our merchants re.:liniim their FOREIGN
trade, was changed in 1876.
Hut England did not leave the protection of
her shipping interests altogetEerto the Lloy,lS
In lS;'3, She originated the Steam Mail Subsidy
system; and in ten Years after acceptin" our
!rcc-tr:ttc transportat on system She hid ,tcam-
NE clt of our parket-ships and steamers For
fifty years Great Britain has applied her treas
urv TO violate every principle of free trade con-
,titutin@ our olive branch" of 1s2S. Had the
| lnlted States been guilty of her misconduct for
IA single year, We should have had remonst RANGES
and retaliation at short notice Our frce-an,l-
easy Government should have demanded fair
play. equality and equity, at least fortv-tive
years ago. And ii is IA fact. that thirty wears
ago the >hipoWners of New York demonstrated
h,4Tn Tnrn ~
suiierance Of the British subsidy system. That
system has now become general with the chief
maritime nations. and is largely supplemented
with bountes OH the building and running of
ships and steamers. The greater nations have
followed the lead of England in practically re-
pu'ilatlh% and counteracting the rule of reef
procity. They are all rc>torin. "the >hackies
upon commerce." and ''in navigation trusting
nothing ito the fair competition of industry
enterprise and skill Our only course is to do
likewise, since our "olivc branch policy has
proved disastrous and quite too much for a
foreign success.
Will close with the following illustrations
of the situation: On the oath of March, 1866, a
fleet of fifty sail lay in san Francisco harbor
for cargoc> to Europe. OF thirty American
fourteen We're chartered ard sixteen dsenyag-
ed. OF nineteen British. fifteen We're charter
e,l and only four were tiisengage,i. The only
German ship was disengaged Taking the
whole fleet. the average ship had been 129 days
m port. The average American ship had been
a, days. and the British ship only 60 DAYS.
The average American ship under charter had
been 1870 days in port, and the British ship less
than "A days. Three British ships had been
chartered before arrival. The average British
rate of freight was IL 12s. Sid; the Amer-
can rate was IL los. d S-4d. The British excess
OF remuneration was il per cent--a differ
ence much below the annual average. Another
case ON the oath of December 1856 fleet
of sNty-fve vessels lay in San Francisco for
cargocs to Europe. OF forty-four British,
twenty-siN were under charter and eighteen
disenga"ed. OF eighteen American, nine We're
chartered and nine discngageu. Two Italians
and one German were under charter. The
average ship of the entire fleet had been 3d.
Gays iii port. The American average time was
GIG days; the British 81 days and the others
fS6 days. The average American ship under
charter had been G'.S3 days. the British 5l.Ss,
| and the others A. days in port. Eleven British
and one Italian were chartered before arrival!
The average British rate of freight was II 12S
ID; the American rate fl Is. 3-4d. and the
others together but little below the British fig
ureS. The British excess of charter rate was
39.64 per cent. Figures made from the 1lth of
the same month showed this excess was then
44.5 per cent. How is this for free" ..recip-
roral,' or ''oive branch trade?
Here, in nutshell, is an cvil-manly pro-
tective abuse of Loyds-for which the artless
and the cunning alike have prescribed "chcap
ships" production of the tariff" and '.repea
of the navigation laws"
An American ship has to lie for cargo. 1870 days
The average AmericarvOyage time is .l25 days
Time consumed i'll one trip. ........... 3i5 DAYS
An English ship lies for cargo only..... "A ,lays
Her sailing time is, ......... .......... .l3I days
Time consumed in one trip. ........... .2o5 DAYS
British saving in time 5@ per cent, and extra
An American ship lies 60 -l25=l9o days for sloo
y British ship lies % l3l=ls3 days for $40.
My investigations of the performance of
fleets in the California trade, for four consecu-
tive years, prove that the average American
ship is not only the largest, fastest. most
eiilrent and cheapest. but the safest carrier in
tic trade. Her single disability arises from
the want of protection, and this it is the duty
OF the Government TO supply. The problem
of the American ship is one of protection, or
the abandonment of the sea. And it is most
di>graceful to Congress that the question
should be open for il day.
WILLIAM W. BATES.
New York. Aug. %, 1887.